The present invention relates to the
engineering of animal cells, preferably mammalian, more preferably rat, that are deficient due to the disruption of
gene(s) or
gene product(s) resulting in
cytokine-
cytokine mediated autoimmune and inflammatory
disease. In another aspect, the invention relates to genetically modified rats, as well as the descendants and ancestors of such animals, which are animal models of human autoimmune and inflammatory
disease and methods of their use. Specifically, the invention pertains to a genetically altered rat, or a rat
cell in culture, that is defective in at least one of two alleles of a
cytokine gene such as the Faslg gene, the Fas gene, etc. In one embodiment, the cytokine gene is the Faslg gene. In another embodiment, the cytokine gene is one of several known
cytokine genes, such as Fas, IFNγ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-10, and IL-12. The inactivation of at least one of these cytokine alleles results in an animal with a higher susceptibility to cytokine-cytokine mediated autoimmune and inflammatory
disease induction. In one embodiment, the genetically altered animal is a rat of this type and is able to serve as a useful model for cytokine-cytokine mediated autoimmune and inflammatory disease and as a test animal for autoimmune and other studies.